1995 Mustang Coupe - Savage Sixer

This Potent Pony Proves That Less Can Be More

Wayne Cook

November 1, 2009

Photos By:
Tracy Stocker

Matt Neuharth of Nash-ville, Tennessee, is a Southern gentleman and drag racer at heart. He is also the ambitious owner of this very cool '95 V-6 Mustang. The truth is that you can find good solid six-cylinder Mustangs for a reasonable price and they can be a real value-packed platform. That's what Matt was thinking when he started with his V-6 Mustang project. He had it in his mind to create a Mustang that he could take to the digs and put on a good show, but also wanted to march to the beat of a different drummer. When he was asked why he decided to make a racer out of a six-cylinder car he began by saying that everybody asks him that same question. In addition to the fact that it's easy to find an affordable six-cylinder car in great condition for much less than the cost of a GT version, he had the desire to create something truly unique. He also says that he enjoys situations where his opponent is an overconfident owner of a V-8 powered Mustang or some other unsus-pecting fodder.

It would be a serious mistake to under-estimate this car and his choice of a V-6 engine certainly doesn't seem to have put any limitations on Matt's ability to produce big power. He already has it making more than 640 horsepower and 650 pound feet of torque at the rear wheels. That's certainly an eye opening figure, and it was achieved by expanding the internal dimensions of the 3.8L V-6 engine and then adding a little assistance in the form of a Turbonetics 72mm turbocharger and a three-inch diameter exhaust system. Getting the air in and out of the engine is the name of the game, and Matt clearly understands that. Racing gas, careful tuning, and 30 pounds of boost were used to achieve that 640/650 figure.

Matt says he also likes to drive his car on the street, and for that he uses pump gas and dials back the boost to 19 psi. Even with the reduced induction pressure and 91 octane gas the six-banger still cranks out 510 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. That's certainly enough power to keep up with the Camaros on the way to the local cruise night. Matt keeps the exterior appearance of his car low key, and he is still sporting the original Crystal White paint scheme. The conservative Weld wheels and the DELK Performance logo on the front bumper are among the few visual things that distinguish the car from a garden-variety grocery getter. We can imagine that he has surprised a few Mustang GTs and a Porsche or two during the course of his six-cylinder-powered street adventures.

There's no doubt that Matt has this car carefully sorted beyond the impressive power production figures. He's figured out how to put that much six-cylinder power to the ground and has run a best pass of 9.83 at 139 miles per hour. In fact, Matt had his car running good enough to take home First Place in the Street Offender Class at the Delk Performance Adrenaline Drags, which were held at the Nashville Super Speedway on April 17 and 24, and May 15, 2009. Street Offender is a door slammer class where stock suspension locations are required, but any engine modification is allowed. Vehicles can't run wheelie bars, must be street legal, and registered. Full slicks are not allowed, and the Street Offender class uses DOT-approved drag radials. He won the class on all three days of the event. When he dials the boost back and uses pump gas the car has still run an impressive 10.17 at a big 135 mph. There's no doubt that Matt did his homework when it came to making his car run its best.